Karthäuserhof Riesling Kabinett Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg 2010

Winemaker's Notes:

"The 2010 Karthäuserhofberg Kabinett is a touch sweeter in this vintage than it is in most years, which no doubt is a reflection of the very high must weights at the estate. The wine is very pretty, as it offers up scents of white cherries, oranges, slate, citrus blossoms and just a whisper of petrol. On the palate the wine is medium-full, round and quite classy on the attack, with good focus and mid-palate depth, but slightly gentle on the backend..." JG 04/11 "At almost exactly twice the residual sugar of its feinherb counterpart and from must that was not de-acidified, the 2010 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Kabinett Schieferkristall harbors significantly less alcohol but arguably displays less sense of levity and is not nearly as clear, refreshing, or dynamically complex as its two drier Kabinett siblings. Here presumably is where the difficulty of which Tyrell spoke in finding material suitable for Kabinett reached a limit and a certain amount of blurring from the fruit’s brush with botrytis became inevitable. Attractive hints of red currant jelly and nut paste inform a finish that is however indistinct, and only modestly inviting of the next sip. Given how discreet is the sense of sweetness here, it’s obvious that relatively high acidity is at work, but it doesn’t translate into mouthwatering brightness. I suspect that this will need to be drunk much sooner than the typical off-dry Karthauserhof Kabinett, and in any event I don’t see significant prospects for enhanced interest. That said, it would not be a bad idea to revisit this sometime in 2012..." WA 04/12